麻豆映画传媒

When Angela Alban 鈥�04 was younger, she, like many children, enjoyed playing make-believe. Although she wanted to be a doctor, she didn鈥檛 pretend to treat patients. Instead, she would play 鈥渙ffice鈥� 鈥� answering phone calls, scheduling appointments and drafting paperwork. She would later discover that creating systems was an effective approach to problem-solving.

With a knack for engineering and analytical thinking, she went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree in computer engineering at 麻豆映画传媒. Today she鈥檚 combining her love of medicine, engineering and project management as president and CEO of SIMETRI, a company delivering cutting-edge technologies to facilitate medical training, primarily for the military.

Among SIMETRI鈥檚 premier designs are instrumented anatomical models built with embedded sensors that detect the precision of various medical procedures 鈥� such as applying a tourniquet or administering an IV. By uniting scientists, physicians, engineers and artists, these innovative devices 鈥� made to simulate lifelike injuries 鈥� provide military medical professionals with immersive training that prepares them to save lives.

鈥淢edical providers, even those who do rotations in trauma centers, aren鈥檛 often exposed to the types of injuries found in war, so you have to recreate them,鈥� Alban says.

Since its founding in 2009, SIMETRI has grown from a simulation-focused company into a leader in developing a range of specialized medical training products and services, guiding each stage from concept and research to development and manufacturing. The key to SIMETRI鈥檚 success, Alban says, is the varying expertise of its 46 dedicated employees 鈥� 10 of whom are 麻豆映画传媒 interns and alumni.

SIMETRI operates from a 15,000-square-foot facility that houses 3D modeling and printing software, workshops for mechanical engineers, an augmented reality space and an expansive special effects lab featuring an array of prosthetics designed to replicate the look, feel and physiology of war-related injuries.

Located just outside Orlando 鈥� the modeling and simulation capital of the world 鈥� SIMETRI is uniquely positioned to leverage Central Florida鈥檚 ever-growing talent pool in engineering and the sciences to revolutionize advanced technologies for government and industry partners.

鈥淭he acquisition of all training devices and services for the [U.S.] Department of Defense happens right here in Orlando,鈥� Alban says. 鈥淪ome of these industries are co-located in Central Florida Research Park and collaborate with 麻豆映画传媒 researchers and faculty. So you have this triad of government, academia and industry, all working together to find practical solutions to real-world problems.鈥�

Mechanical engineering student and SIMETRI intern Lena Stadler assembles a custom-printed circuit board with integrated sensors and Bluetooth capabilities for use in an augmented reality training environment.

Although Alban is now a leader in her field, she says she struggled to picture herself in a position of power early in her career. It wasn鈥檛 until she became vice president and chief operating officer of Indra Systems, a company focused on aviation simulation and automatic test equipment, that she felt more confident guiding teams of experts.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize I had the potential to even speak in front of people,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut I took that job very seriously, so I worked hard at creating a work environment where I could employ people the way they deserve to be employed.鈥�

What drew Alban, a mother of two, to entrepreneurship was the work-life balance it afforded her, especially while caring for her young daughter with special needs.

鈥淚 wanted to be fulfilled not just professionally, but personally. And I wanted to do that for other people because my parents didn鈥檛 have those opportunities in the U.S.,鈥� says Alban, a Colombian immigrant who moved to the U.S. when she was 5. 鈥淓verything I do, from motherhood to my career, goes back to honoring their sacrifice.鈥�

Despite having limited means, Alban鈥檚 parents instilled in her the importance of giving back, a value that has stayed with her as she works to effect positive change in her community. Alban is an active board member for several local organizations, including 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) Dean鈥檚 Advisory Board, and in 2022 she established the SIMETRI Dream and Achieve Endowed Scholarship for CECS students.

As Alban considers SIMETRI鈥檚 future, she plans to develop simulated tactical training for combat soldiers, something she did earlier in her career as a software engineer. Building a skilled and dynamic team 鈥渉as enabled us to grow in the more general simulation space,鈥� she says.

Whether building realistic simulators for the military or enhancing current medical technologies, Alban says she鈥檚 grateful to do what she loves: creating systems to solve problems.

鈥淪imulating computers and machines is easy,鈥� she says. 鈥淪imulating the human body, and the processes that take place as part of the physiology, is much more difficult 鈥� but also more rewarding.鈥�

Special Effects Engineer Blayne Weir collaborates with the engineering team to develop anatomically accurate models that integrate electromechanical systems and embedded software, resulting in high-fidelity simulation devices for advanced training applications.

Who:

Angela Alban 鈥�04

The Pitch:

A multifunctional facility bringing together teams of subject matter experts to deliver highly sophisticated products and services for medical training.

Inspiration:

To provide military and medical personnel with realistic training experiences using simulation and mixed-reality technologies.

Find It:

simetri.us